CES: Pimped PSP-controlled Honda
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jan 8th 2006 at 3:30PM }
A PSP-controlled concept car,
built from a 94 Honda Civic, was on display at CES. Utilizing built-in WiFi, Sony's handheld can be used to open the
doors, turn on the lights, and even drive the car. In other words, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Thankfully, the
concept car is not available for purchase; but if it were, Metro Electronics (the modifiers) said the price tag would
be in the $250,000 range--keeping it out of the hands of at least a few reckless maniacs.[Thanks, Jason]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Momus @ Jan 8th 2006 4:21PM
Yama hama, it's fright-night.
strider_mt2k @ Jan 8th 2006 6:37PM
Oddly enough, the car also lacks any really good games.
One person is actually building a car made entirely out of returned PSPs!
Oh, I meant RV.
Jay @ Jan 8th 2006 8:44PM
Holy bad idea Batman!
JPRacer @ Jan 8th 2006 8:50PM
Who would pay $250K for a Civic? Give me a F430! And it cost $50K less. Sure, you can't use it with a PSP, but who care, the 430 is sooo much better than this POS.
benhc911 @ Jan 8th 2006 8:59PM
I would assume that it looks really flashy, but the battery drains really fast, it takes forever to get started and the controls will be crappy. But it wil still sell decently since its designed to do things other than drive.
XD
haha
seriously though, stupid idea.
Oh, and i do have a psp, but i regret buying it often. I much prefer my ds, 360 and game cube.
the dibb @ Jan 8th 2006 9:01PM
why, why, why, why? and a honda no less, i despise hondas. and if you bought the psp and are dissapointed with the game selection, have you not heard of playing snes games on it?
Superzapper2000 @ Jan 8th 2006 9:02PM
There are some really good games out for the PSP this week and the next month .GTA Liberty City ,Lord of the Rings Tactics,Socom: Fireteam Bravo,Tokobot,Street Fighter Alpha 3,I'd rather have a PSP than a 94 Honda Civic anyday,Actually i'd rather walk than own a Honda.I'll stick with my Mitsubishi.
Jago @ Jan 8th 2006 9:08PM
WOW!!!
So instead of being able to play some must have games I can instead use my PSP to control a car...WOW!!! So that is why I bought my PSP!!!
/end sarcasim...
foxhaze @ Jan 8th 2006 9:09PM
If they were going to integrate a video game system into the car, why didn't they pick something like a PS2 or a 360? Considering the cruddy control system on the PSP for actual video games, I can't imagine how they improved it for real life.
Momus @ Jan 8th 2006 10:14PM
Oh snap, Superzapper2000! Send in the rest of your apologists. I'm sure you all have a strong conviction toward dated ports and rehashed bestsellers.
Let us bask in its faulty controls! Let us marvel at its crippled gimmickry! Let us pretend the graphics are as fun too look at as its shiny plastic shellthat is, before it is scratched and mutilated by grimy fingers and rough fabrics.
Yes, let us!
Thundercizzle @ Jan 9th 2006 12:26AM
I love my PSP.
Thundercizzle @ Jan 9th 2006 12:28AM
I love my PSP.
Jon Speed @ Jan 9th 2006 1:13AM
Do yourselves a favor, find something better to do than hate on the PSP. The DS's control scheme sucks cock too, but since everyone hears that it supposedly better than the PSP, they assume.
Let's go over this boys: Mario Kart... Port, Animal Crossing...Port, CastleVania...Port, Mario 64 DS...Port, even the Advance Wars is a port from GAMEBOY ADVANCE WOW!!! There are other people out there who don't just jump on the bandwagon like you guys. I have a PSP, it's great. Once Devs start making games meant to be played on the go, the PSP's potential will soar...
A grown man playing Nintendogs, now lets talk about that!
Probot @ Jan 9th 2006 1:57AM
Jon Speed
"Mario Kart... Port, Animal Crossing...Port, CastleVania...Port, Mario 64 DS...Port, even the Advance Wars is a port from GAMEBOY ADVANCE WOW!!! There are other people out there who don't just jump on the bandwagon like you guys. I have a PSP, it's great. Once Devs start making games meant to be played on the go, the PSP's potential will soar..."
Mario Kart - Sequel, arguably best in the franchise. Animal Crossing - Sequel with the multiplayer people wanted in the original. Advanced Wars - Sequel, improvements to a sleeper GBA hit
If you don't know the differece between a port and a sequel, please shut up.
Mario 64 was the only port in your list. And it was a decent port, much like PSP's huge library of ports.
I assume what Momus meant by "faulty controls" was that censor for the square button was purposely moved to make the screen bigger, thereby making it theoretically less responsive than the other buttons.
Superzapper2000's opinion is valid. PSP has decent games. None that'd I buy, but I won't fault anyone for getting it. PSP vs. DS arguments are pointless and stupid. And so are the people that start them.
sinyakuza @ Jan 9th 2006 1:57AM
wow just asking to put a bomb in there and giving bin laden a psp
Jago @ Jan 9th 2006 2:20AM
Jon Speed...congrats on assuming and making yourself look like a complete idiot...and for being the kind of idiot who thinks that you have to play certain games in order to look "cool."
I own BOTH the PSP and the DS...this is actually my second DS as a matter of fact. I bought the DS when it launched...sold it when the PSP came out and then rebought it in October 2005.
The PSP had some very strong launch titles (Lumines, Ridge Racer and Wipeout) which I think were a little better then the DS.
As for those games you listed...yea they might have been modified ports of previous titles, HOWEVER those games you listed were (namely MK, SM64DS, Animal Crossing and Advance Wars) were some of the BEST games on their respective platforms and STILL are among the best games today. You also forgot to mention that there are alot more titles that on the DS that can ONLY be done on the DS...namely Feel the Magic, Nintendogs, Meteos, Trauma Center, Polarium, Pac Pix, Pac N' Roll, Pheonix Wright.
FYI: Jon Speed...the DS is leading in sales over the PSP in every region...that also means people actually are BUYING the system instead of just reading about it.
Jau_Peacecraft @ Jan 9th 2006 3:17AM
all of you guys are wrong. The gizmondo, now, I think...they have the upper hand....
....
...
yea handhelds suck donkey balls, gimme a PS3/Revo/ and if I'm desperate a 360 anyday.
Jon Speed @ Jan 9th 2006 11:40AM
...But I sure as shit got you guys thinkin about what you complain about.
"As for those games you listed...yea they might have been modified ports of previous titles, HOWEVER those games you listed were (namely MK, SM64DS, Animal Crossing and Advance Wars) were some of the BEST games on their respective platforms and STILL are among the best games today."
Yeah, and GTA isn't one of the greatest games? neither is Metal Gear Solid. Virtual Tennis, Ridge Racer, Wipeout Pure, are possibly the best ones to date. Also, Socom Fire Team Bravo... look you guys say that you are tired of these PSP/DS fights, but you just incite them.
I will concede to the fact that the DS has some good franchise games on it, but if you dont reconize the DS as some ports, then you can't just call PSP games ports either.
Jago @ Jan 9th 2006 2:27PM
If GTA: LCS is the PSP's best game then that is pretty sad b/c it doesn't seem to have the "must have" appeal that Animal Crossing, Nintendogs and MKDS had.
Metal Gear Acid: Original (but flawed) game
Virtua Tennis: straight port
Ridge Racer: Fun game (but basically just a port b/c it is a "greatest hits" of tracks from previous Ridge Racer games.)
Wipeout Pure: New title and one of THE best on the PSP. It would have been perfect if it would have had REAL wifi multiplayer.
SOCOM: (Personally) I hated it. I was on the Public Beta for it and the controls were just horrendous. This is just my opinion tho.
As for the PSP/DS fights...I never mentioned anything about it so count me in on that guys statement.
The DS does have SOME ports but those ports are from some of the industries (and the public's) most favorite games.
Vince @ Jan 10th 2006 10:50AM
For more information about this car as well as source code and detailed information about the programming that went into it, visit:
http://www.waciworld.com/psp_controlled_car/
Denise @ Jan 12th 2006 1:05PM
Actually, the name of the company that created the car is Metra Electronics, a manufuacurer of car sound accessories and other aftermarket products. Metra is based in Holly Hill, Florida (next door to Daytona Beach), and has in-house customizers who design and build its show vehicles.
Jim Boan @ Jan 15th 2006 2:02PM
All of you brilliant people who criticize the work it took to build this car this car and the amount of talant it took to paint it should stop punding yourself on the back and ask yourself two questions. 1) could you do any of this type of work yourself and could you do it better. 2) If they can do this kind of work on a show car what could they do for my wreck. Cars like this are built and painted to get peopels attention and no matter what all you critics think it does do that. Of course you would not drive this car down the street to get a beer, thats not the point. So lighten up and look at the work and talant it took to put all this together and appriciate that.
Jim Boan @ Jan 15th 2006 2:06PM
All of you brilliant people who criticize the work it took to build this car this car and the amount of talant it took to paint it should stop punding yourself on the back and ask yourself two questions. 1) could you do any of this type of work yourself and could you do it better. 2) If they can do this kind of work on a show car what could they do for my wreck. Cars like this are built and painted to get peopels attention and no matter what all you critics think it does do that. Of course you would not drive this car down the street to get a beer, thats not the point. So lighten up and look at the work and talant it took to put all this together and appriciate that.
Jon speeds a PSP fanboy @ Jan 26th 2006 7:13PM
Jon Speed is a classic PSP fanboy.
She (i presume) pointed out 5 ports (most were sequels). She forgot to mention all the other titles that have never been made on any other console, such as: Nintendogs
Trauma Centre: Under the Knife
Electroplankton
Meteos
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Lost in Blue
Trace Memory
Feel the Magic 1 and 2 (Rub Rabbits)
Coming Soon: Brain Flex
Brain Training
Brain Training 2
And the rest of the Brain Training series.
And there is a ton of worthy sequels as well.
I don't own a PSP or a DS but I know that there are jack all games that arn't on any other console on the PSP. The PSP's game library is made fully of sequels and ports.